Puddy Posted February 15, 2008 Share Posted February 15, 2008 Snow shuts down roads in San Diego CountyStory Highlights 27-mile stretch of I-8 closed for 12 hours by snow; 500 motorists stranded At least 30 people taken to temporary shelters; teams check for cars off roads San Diego County authorities report about triple normal number of accidents SAN DIEGO, California (AP) -- A surprise storm lashed San Diego County with rain and snow, stranding as many as 500 motorists on a mountain freeway and pouring mud down onto another roadway but causing no major damage or injuries. A car lies on its roof Thursday in San Diego County, California, afer a surprise storm that closed roads. 1 of 2 The weather was expected to clear Friday. A 27-mile stretch of Interstate 8, which runs through the mountains in the eastern county and is a main artery from California into Arizona, was reopened before dawn Friday following a 12-hour shutdown. The California Highway Patrol began escorting cars through, although big-rig trucks still were not allowed. The freeway was closed shortly after 4 p.m. Thursday when blowing snow and ice made the roadway impassable. "It was just a big dump of snow, real fast," accompanied by high winds, California Highway Patrol Officer Jim Bettencourt said. Cars spun out and hundreds of motorists were stopped in their tracks. "I've been here for a while and trying to get around, but there's no going around, so you just have to be patient," stranded motorist Patty Kresin told KNSD-TV in San Diego. By early Friday, authorities were pretty sure they had found all the stranded motorists, but teams were still checking for cars that might have gone over the side of the road, Bettencourt said. The abandoned cars hampered snow plows. "Now we have a virtual parking lot of empty vehicles," Bettencourt said. "You've got big rigs that are jackknifed. So it's going to be a pretty daunting task." The unexpectedly severe weather snarled other roadways. Authorities reported 179 crashes on county roads between midnight and 9 p.m. Thursday, compared to the usual figure of 50 to 75 crashes in a typical day. Authorities also shut down an 8-mile stretch of road between Poway and Ramona because of mudslides. About 2 feet of mud and rocks slid onto the highway after heavy rain fell in an area burned by last fall's wildfires. The stormy weather was caused by a low-pressure system that originated in the Gulf of Alaska and unexpectedly moved into Southern California. Rain, hail and snow also fell in the desert near Palm Springs where temperatures had soared to 85 degrees just days ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puddy Posted February 15, 2008 Author Share Posted February 15, 2008 Come on down to San Diego. Played golf today. It's 71 and sunny right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piratesownninjas Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 We're supposed to get ours tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chargerz Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 (edited) Those reports of snow in San Diego county yesterday were lies, all lies!!! It was sunny again today. Edited February 16, 2008 by Chargerz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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